In this week’s ‘strange but true’: From a two-head turtled to a three-horned triceratops, and a bold four-year-old in New Zealand to a bemused 95-year-old monarch in the UK, our wacky world continues to turn.
TOP PRICE
The world’s biggest triceratops skeleton, known as “Big John,” was sold for US$7.7 million to a private collector at a Paris auction house. The enormous skeleton, estimated to be over 66 million years old, was found in 2014 in South Dakota. Big John, named after the owner of the land where it was found, is certified by the Guinness World Records as the largest documented skeleton of a triceratops. The dinosaur died in an ancient flood plain on the island continent stretching from present-day Alaska to Mexico, allowing the conservation of its skeleton in mud. Last year, a Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton reached almost $32 million in an auction in New York, becoming the most expensive dinosaur ever sold.
95 YEARS YOUNG
Queen Elizabeth II is Britain’s longest-lived and longest-reigning monarch. But don’t call her an oldie. The 95-year-old queen has politely declined the honour of being named “Oldie of the Year” by a British magazine, saying she does not meet “the relevant criteria.” The Oldie magazine published the queen’s response to its suggestion that she follow in the footsteps of former recipients, including former Prime Minister John Major, actor Olivia de Havilland and artist David Hockney.
“Her Majesty believes you are as old as you feel, as such The Queen does not believe she meets the relevant criteria to be able to accept, and hopes you will find a more worthy recipient,” said a letter from her assistant private secretary, Tom Laing-Baker. He ended the letter “with Her Majesty’s warmest best wishes.”
TWO HEADS ARE BETTER THAN ONE
A rare two-headed diamondback terrapin turtle is alive and kicking — with all six of its legs — at the Birdsey Cape Wildlife Center in Massachusetts after hatching recently. A threatened species in the state, this turtle is feeding well on blood worms and food pellets, staff at the centre say. The two heads operate independently, coming up for air at different times, and inside its shell are two gastrointestinal systems to feed both sides of its body.
The turtle originally came from a nest in West Barnstable that researchers determined was in a hazardous location and needed to be moved. After hatching, turtles in these so-called “head start” nests are sent to different care centre to be monitored before their release in the spring. Center veterinarian Pria Patel and other staff members will continue to monitor the turtle, which they nicknamed Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen after the twin child stars.
PORN SCORN
An Illinois man has been sentenced to five years in prison for looking at child pornography during a commercial flight to Florida. Donald Max Ingram, 70, was sentenced in Tampa federal court, according to court records after pleading guilty in May to possessing and viewing images of children being sexually abused. According to court documents, Ingram was traveling on a plane headed to St. Pete–Clearwater International Airport in September 2020 when another passenger observed Ingram viewing child sex abuse material on his cellphone. The passenger alerted law enforcement when the plane landed, and deputies assigned to the airport detained Ingram and contacted the FBI.
ELVIS IS BACK IN THE BUILDING
An Elvis Presley bust that was swiped from a central Illinois bar has been returned after the story of its theft attracted international attention. Employees at Jimmy’s Bar found the missing bust recently sitting on a porch outside the West Peoria saloon, a few days after it went missing.
“He’s back!” pub owner Jimmy Spears declared, attributing the bust’s return to the widespread attention its theft had attracted. The bar’s Facebook page had made an appeal for its return: “No questions asked.” Spears, the bar’s owner for 39 years, said his niece bought the bust about 15 years ago at a garage sale for $20, and it soon became the business’ bar-top mascot.
TOO CUTE
An emergency call made by a four-year-old New Zealand boy asking for police to come over and check out his toys prompted a real-life callout and confirmation from an officer that the toys were, indeed, pretty cool. Police shared audio of the call on social media, describing the incident as “too cute not to share.”
The call begins all business: “This is police, where is the emergency?” There’s a pause as the unidentified boy hesitantly says, “Hi,” and then “Police lady?” “Yes,” the dispatcher says, switching to a friendlier tone. “Um, can I tell you something?” the boy asks, and after being told he can, says “I’ve got some toys for you.” A man then gets on the phone confirming the call was a mistake, saying the four-year-old had been helping out while his mother was sick. A police dispatch call then goes out, giving the address: “There is a four-year-old there who is wanting to show police his toys, over.”
“Constable Kurt,” who responded to the call, was shown an array of toys at the boy’s house and was also able to have a “good, educational chat” about the proper use of the emergency number. “He did have cool toys,” Constable Kurt reported back after attending the callout, with police adding, “The lucky kid also got to see the patrol car and the officer put the lights on for him, too.”
WRIGHT BROTHERS, WRONG PLATE
Ohio printed out 35,000 new license plates before realizing a banner depicted on the plate was attached to the wrong end of the Wright Brothers’ historic first plane, the Wright Flyer. State officials acknowledged the error immediately after the new plates were unveiled, releasing a photo of the corrected plate. But a state spokesperson said that 35,000 plates were already printed.
The new license plate illustrates both the rural and urban parts of Ohio with a banner that reads “Birthplace of Aviation” draped across the horizon. But the banner, which should have been trailing behind the plane, was attached to its front. The corrected plates are scheduled to be released Dec. 29.